“Far from Home – A Tribute to European Song” is a project close to Swiss Jazz vocalist Beat Kaestli’s heart. Residing in New York City since 1993, he enjoyed a very diverse experience in this music metropolis, ranging from Jazz to R&B, Gospel to Musical Theater and Latin rhythms. After refining his understanding of Jazz and the American Songbook, he started to reflect back to his European roots.

The result is this tribute to European song and composers - past and present. It’s inspired by the perspective of a young European artist living in New York blending the rich musical heritage from Europe with the musical and cultural diversity of New York, where musicians and cultures from all around the world meet and tap into the creative energy of this vital place.

Firmly rooted in Jazz and the craftsmanship of European song, this tribute takes you all around the world and taps into a multitude of stylistic references. It boldly fuses French opera with the New Orleans Jazz tradition, lightly hints on the tango from Argentina and easily blends Brazil, New York, Spain and Mexico into a song about a long distance love affaire. It helps you to escape a rainy day in London to the island of Puerto Rico, just to mournfully lead you back into the Swiss Alps and sad good-byes in Germany. Finally however, it lifts you up with the magic of a new romance and the promise of lasting love set in Paris. A fitting praise to Beat Kaestli’s roots and musical heritage, to New York City and to Jazz in it’s many forms and nationalities.

About Beat Kaestli:

Beat Kaestli is a vocalist, songwriter and producer residing in New York City. After establishing himself in the Swiss music scene, he moved to New York to broaden his musical horizon, leaving a promising career in his homeland behind. He was awarded a scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music (BM) and received the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation scholarship to graduate in 2008 with a Masters Degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music (MA). While honing his craft alongside noteworthy Jazz performers, such as Jane Monheit, Jason Moran and Stefon Harris, he immersed himself in Manhattan’s fiercely competitive music scene, emerging as a seasoned performer.

He now appears in clubs such as The Blue Note, Birdland, The Bitter End, The Jazz Standard, The Stone and Sweet Rhythm, performing with Jazz greats, like Esperanza Spalding, Jon Hendricks, Clarence Penn, Gregoire Maret, Joel Frahm , Billy Drummond, Magos Herrera and Victor Prieto. In 2005, Beat was the chosen vocalist for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, thrilling audiences in concert halls across the USA. Since the release of his acclaimed CD “Happy, Sad and Satisfied” in 2006 he is touring the world extensively with his own projects, showcasing his music in renowned clubs and at festivals across the US, Europe, Mexico and Canada.